THE BEST IN BEAUTY FROM THOSE WHO KNOW BEST

VIOLET GREY began with our search for the best eyelash curler. To find the answer, we formed a band of inside-Hollywood experts and editors — from makeup artists to movie stars — to test every eyelash curler against our rigorous set of standards (the VIOLET CODE). We tested on film sets, on red carpets, and in the back of Jack Nicholson’s limousine — and once we learned which curler would make our lashes curve and not crimp (Utowa, it’s from Japan), we moved on to mascara, lip stain, dry shampoo, and everything else a girl needs in her cosmetic wardrobe. On any given day, we are discovering, testing, and approving best-in-class beauty. The result is a discerning curation of products, tips, and inspiration deemed essential — the Industry’s Beauty Edit.

You may be asking yourself, Why am I about to read a beauty review of a turban from a DJ-slash-Girl-in-a-Band who doesn’t wear makeup? Well, I am going to tell you. First things first, full disclosure: I am sleeping with the girl who founded this company, and she takes what she does really seriously. I mean, you should see how her entire face lights up when she discovers a new product to introduce to her customers, aka me. She has handed me a lot of things I knew nothing about—creams, treatments, masks, combs, a toothbrush, oils, eyeliners (cruelty-free), supplements, balms, and a plethora of other beauty products—but nothing as exciting as the Aquis turban. I love this thing and I talk about it with anyone who will listen. Now it’s your turn!

I spent a lot of years fucking up my hair. I discovered bleach and Manic Panic at my local Ricky’s in the ‘90s, and I’ve been doing damage ever since. Somehow I managed not to go bald, but I sure had some close calls. Like the man who took my directive to “just do something fun” as carte blanche to treat my scalp like a canvas. At some point, I wised up and put my head in the hands of Mèche founder Tracey Cunningham, the undisputed Queen of Blonde. When we first started working together, things were so bad that I actually suggested shaving it all off and starting over. But Tracey is the queen for a reason. Together with my stylist, Andy Lecompte, she has rehabbed it to an impressive extent, more or less undoing the damage I did during a misspent youth and giving me longer, stronger hair than I've ever had.

And yet: my hair still felt matted and ratty at the ends. No matter what treatment mask I used. No matter that I combed my hair in the shower before rinsing out the conditioner. No matter that I didn’t ever blow-dry it. I never did any real research to figure out why, and at a certain point I no longer even bothered to question it. I would just throw it up in a bun and keep moving.

And then came the turban! This funny little banana-shaped, ShamWow-esque turban.

One of my first memories of my mother is of her in the bathroom, bent over in a dressing gown, wrapping a towel around her hair and flipping it over and back into a crude makeshift turban. Not knowing any better, I have used this method to dry my hair for my entire life. Rubbing my hair in between two halves of a towel, and then twisting said towel and flipping it back over my shoulders. Did you read that? Rubbing my hair between two halves of a towel. While simultaneously wondering why it was matted and ratty at the ends. Yes. Did I connect the two? No. At least not until the day my girlfriend, who was watching me basically sandpaper the ends of my hair with a towel, handed me the Aquis Rapid Dry Hair Turban.

I don’t know the science behind the turban—and I don’t think you expect me to—but someone does, and I’m sure they will add it to the end of this (heavily edited, I’m sure) review. [Ed note. True. Here’s the beauty geek explainer: Made with a proprietary technology, the ultra-fine fibers (think: thinner than silk) are woven to create a fast-working, water-wicking fabric that doesn’t snag the hair cuticle or cause friction. This is in contrast to the large, rough loops of cotton terry, which irritate the hair shaft and lead to breakage. Voilà.]

By this point, you can probably surmise that the Aquis turban sorted out my scraggly-ends situation. True, it did. But the reason I truly love this product is because it does a bunch of other things when it’s on my head. First of all, I like how it looks on me—and that’s important when you share a bathroom with someone you love (or like… or tolerate… I don’t know your life). Second, it’s convenient. I can now put all my newly discovered skincare products on my face without my hair getting in the way. Third, and most important: it dries my hair quickly and gently while I’m doing the things I need to be doing anyway, like getting dressed and checking Instagram.

I may not know how it works. But I do know this: I can now wear my hair down, and when I do, I get compliments. And boy, do I love a compliment. I’m living a new life in an entirely new world and I fucking love it—and you will, too.